Gold and two Bronze medals for the British Elite team at the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Fyn

Matthew Willis extended Great Britain’s run of success in the Junior Men’s category to four years on Friday at the Fyn ITU Multisport World Championships Festival. Following in the footsteps of Ben Dijkstra (2015), Alex Yee (2016) and Cameron Richardson (2017), Willis used his impressive speed over the final 2.5km run to become ITU Duathlon World Junior Champion. It completes a fine week for Willis, who won his first ETU Triathlon Junior European Cup Gold medal at Holten the previous weekend.

There was also continued success in the Senior Elite races. Mark Buckingham added a Duathlon World Championship Bronze medal – his third in four years – after being part of a breakaway on the bike with Yohann Le Berre (FRA) and home athlete, Andreas Schilling. Another British athlete, Adam Bowden, finished just four second behind Mark on the day but, along with Morgan Davies (seventh across the line), were disqualified post-race for not serving an on-course penalty, neither having spotted their race number on the penalty board. Philip Wylie, a long-term member of the British Elite Duathlon team, finished eighth.

Later in the day, Georgina Schwiening matched the Bronze medal of Mark Buckingham in the Senior Women’s event. That success adds to previous podium finishes at Junior and Under-23 level. First out onto the closing 5km run, Schwiening was passed by Sandrina Illes (AUT) and Ai Ueda (JPN). Racing in the Under-23 event, Laura Smith unfortunately crashed out of the race during the bike leg.

Fyn ITU Duathlon World Championships – Friday 6th July 2018

ELITE MEN

1st – Andreas Schilling (DEN) – 1:35:56
2nd – Yohann Le Berre (FRA) – 1:35:57
3rd – Mark Buckingham (GBR) – 1:36:47

8^th – Philip Wylie (GBR) – 1:40:06
DQ – Adam Bowden (GBR)
DQ – Morgan Davies (GBR)

ELITE WOMEN

1st – Sandrina Illes (AUT) – 1:49:29
2nd – Ai Ueda (JPN) – 1:49:38
3rd – Georgina Schwiening (GBR) – 1:49:47

DNF – Laura Smith (GBR)

JUNIOR MEN

1st – Matthew Willis (GBR) – 56:30
2nd – Thor Bendix Madsen (DEN) – 57:00
3rd – Joey Van ‘T Verlaat (NED) – 57:11

JUNIOR WOMEN

1st – Costanza Arpinelli (ITA) – 1:03:24
2nd – Shirin Van Anrooij (NED) – 1:03:26
3rd – Leana Bissig (SUI) – 1:04:03

Full Results

Athlete Social Reaction

World Junior Duathlon Champion ?????? just 6 days after Holten ETU Cup, big thank you to everyone who made it possible ?? Also congrats to @TriBucko & @GSchwiening for Senior ?? pic.twitter.com/5SJuq2D132

— Matt Willis (@mwillisrun) July 7, 2018

3rd in the world! ?? First senior elite international medal! Very very happy. I wasn't expecting to be on the podium! I did eventually get the cork off the champagne... Congrats to @SFTriathlon teammates and @TriBucko @mwillisrun ?? Thanks for all the cheers on the course! pic.twitter.com/ewAnB8De5z

— George Schwiening (@GSchwiening) July 7, 2018

I’ll take that. World ??at the Duathlons.
Happy as there was nothing I could have done to beat @schillingtri???? & Leberre????

Our British men’s team were class. Congrats @GSchwiening ?? & @mwillisrun Júnior world champ??.
And to the 27 ????AG medalist on day one! Mega?? pic.twitter.com/ZSEKWpGPhf

— Mark Buckingham (@TriBucko) July 7, 2018

 

At least I can say I went out with a bang... I knew my lead up to the World Champs had been less than ideal with a hip injury forcing me to take some time off running... I just didn’t anticipate that I wouldn’t finish! On the second lap of the bike, the windy conditions posed too much and caused me to clip a tyre which sent me flying ?? After a trip to the hospital, I was given the all clear to go home with no broken bones just cuts, bruises and a whole lot of disappointment. This season has had some real highs and pretty bad lows but I know I’ll come out fighting. It’s definitely fuelled my competitive flame to come back stronger ?? #fuellingthefire

A post shared by Laura Rose (@iaurarosesmith) on Jul 6, 2018 at 6:59pm PDT